Determining mean Length of Day and DeltaT formula
Using
observed data for 500 BCE
to 1600 CE from [Stephenson, 2004] and for 1650 CE to 1990 CE from IERS,
in the below section the change in LOD
and Delta T are described.
Mean Length of Day (LOD)
The
following mean changes in Length of Day (LOD) are depicted in the
below
figure:
- Observed mean changes in LOD (pink wavy line) (from 1650 CE is
are quite accurate values)
- Tidal friction influence (straight light blue dotted line) of
2.3
[ms/cy] [Stephenson, 1997,
page 513]
- Optimized mean changes in LOD (black crosses), this is as per
my
optimized function (using Simplex
method with one linear and one periodic term).
The mean Solar Day function is also
incorporated in the Excel
XLA
file
for archaeoastronomy and geodesy functions.
- Average mean changes in LOD (yellow straight line), is around
1.72 [ms/cy], using my own Simplex optimized function. This is
within
the value range (1.70+/-0.05 [ms/cy]) as provided in Stephenson
([1997],
page 514)
Interesting to see that there looks to be
a
periodicy of around 1440 and 1550
years (also mentioned by Stephenson
([1997],
page 516), if people know such a cycle and have some proof due to an
astronomical/geophysical process, let
me know.
It could be this periodicy is caused by the splining
methodology used (based on the ideas of Slutzky [1937]),
but
I doubt that.
Another reason for a spurious periodicy
could be due to the sampling of only a limited
amount of eclipses (Stephenson's pool of observations), but I think
that
that would not results in such a long term periodicy, because:
- I am thinking that the Nyquist-Shannon
theory
of
sampling and low pass (anti-aliasing) filtering could be
related
to this idea. If this low pass filtering does not happen at half
the
Nyquist sampling frequency one could get spurious frequencies (fsample
+/- factual) in the relating analysis.
- Assuming say an on average sampling of every 6 years an
eclipse
(pool of 400 observations over a period of 2300 years).
- to get a spurious periodicy of 1550 years in an analysis, an
actual
periodicy of some 5.98 or 6.02 years (1/1550 = 1/6 +/- 1/actual)
must
exist in the real LOD (which is not 'filtered out'). Such a
natural(/actual)
periodicy is not likely, IMHO.
- furthermore the splining in 5 knots would also not stimulate
such a long term periodicy over all knot
intervals (the spurious periodicy would even vary much more per
knot
interval;
because the amount of observations varies greatly per knot
interval).
- In the above I used a uniform distribution of the observation,
while in actual live it are random observations, but still the
large
variation of observation per knot interval would not give such a
visible uniform long term periodicy over all knot intervals.
- A test, if this periodicy is spurious, is by deliberately
changing
the number of observations (larger spacing between observations)
and
see if the periodicy changes in duration. If it is spurious, the
periodicy must change according to the (1/spurious = 1/sample
+/-
1/actual) formula.
Linking the seen periodicy with possible
geophysical events
Stephenson [Stephenson, 1997,
page 513] gives an possible explanation what causes the periodicy:
With
regard
to the quasi-periodic fluctuations on a timescale of some 1500
years, a possible mechanism would appear to be electromagnetic
coupling between the core and the mantle of the Earth. This is
the most
likely cause of the decade fluctuations (Lambeck, 1980, p. 247).
Another possible reason he gives is the change of sea-level
variations
(Lamb, 1982); "as significant
long-term alterations in climate have been detected in the last
few
milennia".
Another reason might be the Dansgaard-Oeschger
(DO)
warming events, (with a possible solar origin)
which are events spaced by 1470 years (which is close to my
determined
periodicy value of 1440 and 1550 years).
The astronomical year of a DO warming event is on -9658 -
1473*event#
With: event# = an positive/negative integer
The periodicy of DeltaT seems to reach zero around 1820 CE, so that
would be a DO warming event# around -7 or -8 (-7.8 to be specific).
Mean Delta T
The below mean DeltaT graph is determined using the my above change
in
LOD
formula. The following graphs are depicted:
- Observed mean DeltaT (pink line)
- DeltaT due to tidal friction influence (straight light blue
dotted line) [Stephenson, 1997,
page 513]
- Optimized mean DeltaT (black crosses), this is as per the
integral of
my change in LOD function
This mean DeltaT function is also
incorporated in the Excel
XLA
file
for archaeoastronomy and geodesy functions.
- The average mean DeltaT (yellow line) based on LOD change of
around
1.7 [ms/cy] is also depicted
Conclusion
The parabolic formula provided by Stephenson to calculate the mean
DeltaT is
perhaps lacking enough elements to predict the DeltatT (or LOD)
accurate enough over the whole time period of 500 BCE to say 1300 CE
(differences smaller than 10%). This
additional periodic term in the formula gives a better accuracy then
only a
parabolic formula.
If you want to test the formula (one can use Excel XLA file), let
me know.
The DeltaT formula
'using Stephenson&Morrison [2004]
as the basis (n.dot = -26"/cy^2):
StartYear = 1820 [year]
Average = 1.80 [msec/cy]
Periodicy = 1443 [year]
Amplitude = 3.76 [msec]
Y2D = 365.25
OffSetYear = (JDutfromDate(StartYear, 0) - JDNDays) / 365.25
DeltaTVR = (OffSetYear ^ 2 / 100 / 2 * Average +
Periodicy / 2 / Pi * Amplitude * (Cos((2 * Pi * OffSetYear /
Periodicy)) - 1)) * Y2D [msec]
More generally used formula (although Stephenson's table look is
better
[or above formula which follows the table better]):
COD is the LOD Change (normally: 1.7 [msec/cy])
DeltaT = OffSetYear ^ 2 / 100 / 2 * COD * Y2D [msec]
Major content related changes: May
3,
2006